


Fieldresearch

by Geli



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 08:06:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/795827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geli/pseuds/Geli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blair's comments on the rules of fieldresearch</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fieldresearch

**Author's Note:**

> When I was handed out the rules of field research in my anthro lecture, I couldn't stop to wonder what Blair's comments might be. I have to thank Bast for betaing. :-)

Personal notes of B. Sandburg: 

The rules of field research: 

_Field research is a process of many years._ (I've lived with this guy now for 3 years and he still doesn't have a clue!) \- Preparations: (I think I've read every damn thing about sentinels ever written on this planet. Didn't prepare me for Jim and his moods or his gorgeous butt. Neither for flying bullets and the psychos, side effect of the subject's job.) \- Financing: (Moved in with the subject, saved a lot of rent. No extra costs to blend in with the natives. No traveling. Occasional bribing of the subject with Wonderburger.) \- License: (Jim begged Simon. Simon bent rules. Permanent ride along. They won't ever get rid of me if I have any say.) \- Language acquisition: (Crash course in macho bull shitting, swearing, native symbolism, cop codes and one syllable words.) 

69696969696969696966969696 

_Admission into the society_  
\- Accustom into the daily problems: (House rules. Guns. Mad serial killers who want to cut out your heart and eat it. No sex in the loft. Total loss of privacy, worse than for M. Moffat in South India. Bombs. CIA. Raising health bills. Odd working hours. Stakeouts in a freezing truck. Corpses and autopsies....) \- Development of relationships: (Try to get the trust of your subject. Try to avoid lying. Try to avoid hard ones around your subject. Go out drinking with the guys.) \- Explain your scientific interest: (Difficult. Nobody understands me or my goals. Not even Jim. And to the rest I have to lie anyway.) \- Assigned role and position in society: (I went from the clown, the usual part for an anthropologist in fieldwork, to trailing along sidekick, to full partner.) 

696969696969696966969696969 

_Daily routine_  
\- Informants: (Difficult since the research is a secret. My main and only informant, Jim, is emotionally too much involved and often resisting.) \- Observing: (Observing means a lot of risk for me. The subject has to be watched during work. I've increased my life insurance.) \- Partaking: (I won't carry a gun, but I arrest guys, somehow. I would rather take part in the mating research, but I don't think I can interest Jim to take me as his bed partner too.) 

  * Conclusions: (I'm considering changing my topic for my thesis. Closed societies maybe?) 



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Author and story notes above.


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